Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) , also known as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the bladder, which causes recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and surrounding pelvic region. The cause of IC is unknown.

It is possible for men to develop IC but it is much more common in women. There are an estimated 1.3 million Americans with IC. Of those 1.3 million, 1.2 million are women. The onset of Interstitial Cystitis usually occurs between 30 and 70 years of age but is increasing rapidly among young and middle-aged women.

IC can affect our psoas muscles, cause myofascial pain, pudendal nerve sensitivity, pelvic floor pain, chronic sexual pain, chronic pelvic pain and emotional distress.

What are the symptoms of IC?

Symptoms of IC can often resemble those of a chronic urinary tract infection. When urine cultures are taken they are usually bacteria-free.

The three most common synptoms are Pain, Urgency, and Frequency.

The pain is usually classified as Chronic pelvic pain:

Women-
Pain appears as sharp/stabbing or dull/throbbing sensations in the urethra, vagina, area above the pubis, lower abdomen, groin, lower back, inside of the thighs, and any combination of these areas.

Men-
Pain appears as sharp/stabbing or dull/throbbing sensations in the penis, scrotum, testes, lower abdomen, groin, lower back, area above the pubis, and any combination of these areas.

Frequent Urination

IC patients typically void 14-15 times a day; however people with severe cases of IC may go as many as 60 times a day. More than 8 times a day is considered abnormal

Urgency to Urinate

IC patients usually feel that they have to go often during the day and night. Nocturia (frequent night urgency ) can interrupt the sleep pattern of the patient more than once a night. The feeling of urgency can be continuous, immediate, or intermittent and often occurs when there is barely any urine in the bladder. Many times when the patient attempt to relieve the urgency only a few drops of urine are expelled and the urgency returns.

IC also causes moderate to severe pain and/or discomfort during sexual intercourse.

There are many helpful resources for pain caused by IC including books, websites, support groups, pain management classes, and networking opportunities.
Links are included in the links module of this lens.

There is no known cure for IC but many treatment options available.

Chronic pelvic pain encompasses not only syndromes and conditions from the waist to mid-thigh, but new pain research has found linkage between auto-immune disorders, such as fibromyalgia, with pelvic pain conditions. Many experts now send their chronic sexual or pelvic pain patients to pelvic floor physical therapists to work on the fascia, or connective tissues.